The Japan collection is not currently on display. Periodically, the museum organizes temporary exhibitions featuring Japanese prints, while the majority of the collection remains safely preserved in the dark.
The hidden treasure
The Museum’s collection of Japanese prints is a true jewel of Japan’s artistic heritage. Rescued from obscurity in the 1970s, it has since gained international recognition for the excellent condition of the prints and the exceptional rarity of some pieces. Today, the collection comprises some 7,500 works by 362 well-known and lesser-known artists, along with approximately 300 pieces by anonymous creators. For specialists, it is an invaluable resource; for enthusiasts, a source of wonder.
Heian & Edo
The collection also contains early ceramics and Buddhist art from the Heian period. From the Edo period (1600–1868), it features traditional works of art, including scroll paintings, folding screens, kimonos, porcelain, weapons, armor, sword ornaments, lacquerware, inro (small traditional boxes), and netsuke (button-like toggles).
Export art
The Museum also houses an extraordinary collection of Japanese export art, including 17th- and 18th-century Imari porcelain and objects produced for the World Fairs at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, such as lacquerware, cloisonné, ivory sculptures, wickerwork, and porcelain.
Contact
- Nathalie Vandeperre: n.vandeperre@kmkg-mrah.be